Her hands were busy. Her home was hospitable. And her faith was unwavering. She also is not known to have played the stock market.
Why be a Martha? Because amid all the work of the Kingdom, somebody has to cook the food.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
How to Sneak in Veggies?
I have a 14 month old boy who would live on carbs, meat, cheese, yogurt and apple sauce if I'd let him. Any ideas for how to sneak in veggies or other tips for getting a toddler to eat a more rounded diet?
I know there are lots of recipes out there for baking/cooking veggies into foods. Comedian Jerry Sinfield's wife wrote a cookbook. I've tried a variety of veggies and for a while the only ones I could get L to eat were asparagus and turnips. (I know!) Once she got better at chomping with her teeth she took to carrots. Initially I gave her ranch dressing to dip, but now she'll eat cucumbers and carrots on their own without the dressing. I'd suggest trying various veggies just a serving and see what he thinks. It's suprising what they will/won't eat and how their tastes change.
You could always try some fruit/veggie drinks - homemade or otherwise.
I don't think we ever made a big deal about it, just always ate a lot of veggies ourselves in front of them. They also consumed quite a lot begging for bites while I was fixing supper. (No other snacks available at the time.)
I found if I kept the more interesting food (say, muffins) off the table for awhile they would eat the more nutritious food more eagerly. Chewing is an issue at 14 months, so steamed vegetables are usually a better sell, although mine usually started enjoying things like broccoli with dip at that age. Eating things straight from the garden is also a good sell, if you can find someone's garden to raid.
I served a lot of mixed foods (casseroles, soups, etc.) where everything came together, and they tend to eat more that way than as side dishes. Also salad dressing and dip--my kids could live on raw veggies and dip. If he likes yogurt-type things, try a ranch or yogurt dip with cucumbers and tomatoes (easy to chew)
And be patient. They're still learning to put food in their mouths and chew at 14 months. Keep the vegetables interesting, varied, and available, and he'll probably learn to like them more and more in time.
3 comments:
I know there are lots of recipes out there for baking/cooking veggies into foods. Comedian Jerry Sinfield's wife wrote a cookbook. I've tried a variety of veggies and for a while the only ones I could get L to eat were asparagus and turnips. (I know!) Once she got better at chomping with her teeth she took to carrots. Initially I gave her ranch dressing to dip, but now she'll eat cucumbers and carrots on their own without the dressing. I'd suggest trying various veggies just a serving and see what he thinks. It's suprising what they will/won't eat and how their tastes change.
You could always try some fruit/veggie drinks - homemade or otherwise.
I don't think we ever made a big deal about it, just always ate a lot of veggies ourselves in front of them. They also consumed quite a lot begging for bites while I was fixing supper. (No other snacks available at the time.)
I found if I kept the more interesting food (say, muffins) off the table for awhile they would eat the more nutritious food more eagerly. Chewing is an issue at 14 months, so steamed vegetables are usually a better sell, although mine usually started enjoying things like broccoli with dip at that age. Eating things straight from the garden is also a good sell, if you can find someone's garden to raid.
I served a lot of mixed foods (casseroles, soups, etc.) where everything came together, and they tend to eat more that way than as side dishes. Also salad dressing and dip--my kids could live on raw veggies and dip. If he likes yogurt-type things, try a ranch or yogurt dip with cucumbers and tomatoes (easy to chew)
And be patient. They're still learning to put food in their mouths and chew at 14 months. Keep the vegetables interesting, varied, and available, and he'll probably learn to like them more and more in time.
You can make any variety of potato: broccoli potatoes, carrot potatoes, pea potatoes... if he likes mashed potatoes, you're pretty set.
Also, I count fruits and vegetables as equal.
Also, I just wait till they're not toddlers anymore.
-- SJ
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